Railway-car truck



(No Model.) 2Sh 68I3S-Sh96fi 1. C. BARRETT. Railway Car Truck.

Patented Feb. I5, 1881.

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". EIERS. PHOYO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D. Cv

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' C. BARRETT.

Railway Car Truck. NO. 237,720. Patented Feb. 15,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

CHARLES BARRETT, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAILWAY-CAR TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 237,720, dated February 15, 1881.

Application filed December 9, 1880.

To all whom at may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES BARRETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Oars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawin gs, and .to letters or figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to railway-cars in which theweight of the car-body is borne by springs resting immediately on the axle boxes or bearings.

The invention may be considered as a modification of the construction shown in Letters Patent of the United States issued to myself on the30th day of March, 1880, in which the springs rest at their lower ends upon the top of afollower-plate, which rests upon the top of the journal-box, and extends upward loosely through a slot in the side beam or sill of the truck-frame, the posts which guide the springs, and are erected upon the follower-plate,-passing at their upper ends loosely through holes in the cross-beams or transoms of the car-floor, to permit of the necessary up-and-down play of the car. The advantage of thus transferring the spring medium from between the top of the journal-box and side rails or sills of the truck-frame to the space between the bottom of the car and the said sills is to obtain an extensive spring capacity and lower the truckframe a distance equal to the depth of the springs, and bring the line of draft nearer the said truck-frame, in addition to which the truck-frame becomes merely a guide for the wheels and axles and follower-plates, and a means of sustaining thethrusts of the car, while the load devolves directly upon the journals.

In the construction shown in the abovenamed patent it is necessary, inorder to provide a base of support for the three springs, to employ the follower-plate as an intermediary, as stated. In present construction I retain the three springs, but omit the follower- (No model.)

plate, and add to the guiding-ribs on the side of thejournal-boxes a a wings or sheliespp at the tops, to support those portions of' the two outer springs that protrude beyond or overhang the edges of the guiding-ribs, so that the three springs rest partly upon the top of the journal-box a, partly upon the tops of the guiding-ribs, and partly upo. the tops of the wings or shelves, and are inclosed within. the upper part of the pedestal in lieu of upon the top of the follower-plate, which is located above the pedestal.

My improvements further consist in a moditlcation of the hanger or pedestal which contains the journal-box from those heretofore employed, as hereinafter explained.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure 1, a side elevation of, and in Fig. 2 a cross-section of, a journal-box and portion of the truck of a railway-car containing my invention. Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the journal-box with the springs removed.

In such drawings the side sills or beams of the truck-frame are shown at A, the axle-box hangers or pedestals at B, the journal-boxes at a, the axle at O, the wheels at D, and the journal-bearin g plates at b, the pedestals being securely bolted to the sills A, while the floor of the car-bodyis shown at E,its cross-beams or transoms at F F, and its side sills atj'.

In carrying my present improvements into effect I increase the height of each pedestal B above the top ofthejournal-box, as shown at g, and form its top a integral with its sides, thus providing a space or inclosure, i, to receive the springs, which are shown at j is Z, and are in the present instance coiled metallic ones, the center spring being higher than its fellows, for purpose stated in my above-named patent. Each hanger terminates at its upper inner part in a lip or flange, m, which overlies the inner side of the adjacent portion of the sill A, and is securely bolted to such sill, the location of this flange upon the inside of the sill presentinggreat strength and resistance to lateral strains upon the lower part of the hanger.

As the springs are comparatively small in diameter the space between the walls of the pedestal laterally is sufficient to contain them, and they do not protrude between the upper part of the jaws oropenings t" of the pedestal, as is now often the case. For this reason I am enabled to shorten the said jaws at top and leave only sufficient space between its upper margin and the top of the journal-box to permit of the vertical play of the car and its load, and this I do by filling up the space with the metal of the pedestal, as shown at O in Fig. l of the drawings. By this means I ob tain great additional strength at the part of the pedestal which is now the weakest, and I conceal a considerable portion of the center spring from View, the side springs being in great part concealed by the walls of the pedesta-l.

To each side of the journal-box I add (by casting integral therewith) at its upper part wings or shehes pp, which protrude beyond or overhang the sides of such box, and I erect upon the top of each wing a post, q, and upon the center of the box a third post, a.

The two outer springs,j l, guided by posts (1 q in the ordinary way, are placed as near the middle spring, k, guided by posts 12, as freedom of action will permit,in order to concentrate as far as possible the weight upon the top of the journal-box and over a line vertical with the centerof the axle G, and also to reduce the width of the horns of the podestal B. By adding such wings to the sides of the journal-box 1 make provision for three springs, which the limited area of the top of the ordinary journal-box, as well as the construction of its hanger, will not permit of.

By resting the springs directly on the caraxle box, instead of on a sliding plate or casting above the same, I am enabled to lower the center of gravity of the car, and thereby to lessen both the swaying motion thereof and the danger of accident. Also, I simplify the construction of the car-supportin g devices, and make them stronger as well.

By having the side springs rest, as shown, partly on the top of the axle-box and partly on the ears, I am enabled to bring them more closely together, and thus adapt them to support the heavy weight of the car. This arrangement is possible only when the ears extend from the top of the box. Ears on the sides of the box below the top may support the springs; but they compel the springs to have at least the entire width of the box between them. I can also use shorter springs than would be possible if the ears were arranged below the top.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In combination with a car-axle box and springs on the top thereof, a pedestal bearing on said springs, and provided with a part. 0, which connects the upper parts of the pedestal-horns across the jaws, thereby shortening the horns and strengthening the pedestal at its weakest point, substantially as herein described.

2. In combination with the pedestal and springs, the oar-axle box having ears 10 extending sidewise from the top of the guiding-ribs, and supporting the projecting parts of the two outer springs, said outer springs resting also, in part, on the top of the axle-box, substantialiy as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES BARRETT.

W'itnesses:

H. E. LODGE, F. G. SIMPsoN. 

